Remember, looking for a job is a job and a half, and that includes the tedious and often creative task of locating available openings. They don't materialize out of the blue, but they're there. There's a certain analogy between trout fishing and looking for a job. It isn't enough to be fully equipped with the right rod and reel and artificial flies. Once you have those things (for a job seeker they would include stationery, a telephone, a record-keeping system, and a properly written resume), the trick is to know where the trout are, to seek out the deep pools in which the biggest and fattest are waiting to feed. For the fisherman, it means going beyond the obvious and putting yourself in the position of the fish. For the job seeker, it means the same thing: going beyond the obvious and using every ounce of your creative and intuitive powers to find the right job for you.
The first rule that I would recommend is that you be active. Psychotherapists have a favorite saying: "Any action is better than no action." It's a good philosophy and applies to many areas of life, including job hunting. Being active translates into being visible. The inactive job seeker remains below the surface, hoping that a "perfect" employer will come along and turn over the rock. That happens, but I certainly wouldn't bank on it.
You may have heard about people who chalk everything up to luck and to knowing the right person. These are very often the individuals who take the passive approach to job hunting and, because of that approach, experience undue difficulty in finding a first or new job in data processing. The fact is that you create your "luck"; you work hard to know the right people who can help you land a job. Fatalism is not a philosophy conducive to succeeding in job hunting, in business, or in life itself. Earthquakes will happen, but you can choose not to live on a fault. Floods will occur in the spring, but you can sandbag the banks before the water rises.
Being active, above all else, is crucial to your success as you seek a job in data processing.
How do you remain active while unemployed? It takes willpower, determination, tenacity, and commitment. Your daily routine should be no different while unemployed than it would be if you had to report to an office and put in a full day's work. And if you are employed and looking for a change at the same time, you have really got yourself a job and a half.
I recently met a young woman who was looking for a job in journalism. She'd been "looking" for four months without success. Her comment to me was, "Everybody wants to get into journalism. There just aren't any jobs out there."
I asked her how many letters she had written to publications that might be interested in hiring her. I was shocked at the response: she had solicited no more than a dozen publications, most of whom apparently did not even have suitable jobs available. I suggested that a dozen inquiries would represent one day's work, certainly not the cumulative effort of four months.
Companies engaged in mail-order business consider a 2 percent response to a mailing highly successful. The same attitude should be applied to job hunting. You don't need positive responses from the hundred companies to whom you send a letter and resume. You need just one good one.
At this point I'd like to suggest a technique that seldom fails. I certainly don't recommend making blind calls to busy executives in the hope that one will agree to have you in for an interview. The process just doesn't work that way. A better approach, especially if you are young and seeking your first position in DP, is to call someone in the data processing department of a company in your area, introduce yourself, indicate that you are looking to change jobs, or to get started in the field, and wonder if you could "get some advice from professionals like you." People are always flattered to be asked for advice. The fact that you are not asking for an interview and job takes the pressure off them: The worst that could happen is that you will be told they're too busy at the moment to accommodate you. If that occurs, you are then free to ask for some names of people at other companies who might not be under so much pressure and would be willing to give you a few minutes of their time. Here's how the network grows, one name leading to another and pyramiding until, before you know it, you have an extensive list of people who might be able to help. This same approach is as valid for the first-timer as it is for the veteran data processor. The veteran, of course, has had the advantage of having naturally built a network of contacts through daily activities in the workplace. At least, that's what should be done. Too often, people fail to keep track of the contacts they make within their field, and when it comes time to change jobs, most of those names are forgotten. I firmly believe that everyone, no matter what the occupation, should be constantly "interviewing" for a better job within their own company or be prepared, if necessary, to look elsewhere. This involves paying close attention to the business of being employed. I've written many articles on the subject of "insuring" one's career by doing precisely what the personnel department of a corporation does-keeping careful records of your contributions to the company, of your involvement with the industry on a broader level, and, in line with the concept of networking, of those people with whom you have interacted and upon whom you might call when it is time to look for greater and more lucrative challenges.
There are other aspects of insuring a career, which we will consider later in this book. For now, what's important is to recognize that your most valuable resource in looking for a job is other people, and if you neglect to take advantage of that resource, you significantly diminish your chances of finding the kind of employment you desire.